Shared Decision-Making in Mental Health Care - SAMHSA Store ...

31Section 6ConclusionsShared decision-making holds substantial promise to advance the goals of many initiativesfocused on improving care and promoting recovery for persons with mentalillnesses. Because it supports consumers’ self-determination and their involvementin decisions about their care and aids consumers in identifying and advancing theirvalues and preferences, SDM can also be viewed as a basic human right. In that light,the question is not whether to advance SDM, but how best to do so.There is much still to learn regarding SDM, including the roots of reluctance toimplement SDM—among providers, consumers, and the public. Realistic expectationsabout the results of broader implementation will be developed only throughsuch implementation. Strategies for implementing SDM within the mental healthfield and implications for its use in diverse cultural settings need further exploration.The promise of shared decision-making and increasing recognition of the cost of thecurrent system of care—in both mortality and vitality—underscore the urgent needsfor better understanding and wider implementation of SDM.Shared Decision-Making in Mental Health Care:Practice, Research, and Future Directions